NEW YORK - Senior Kacie Johnson posted a season-high seven points, including five goals and a two assists, despite a 13-8 loss to Penn at Robert K. Kraft Field on Saturday, April 6. First-year goalkeeper Colleen Packer put on an impressive first half display in the net with a season-high 10 saves. Penn used six different scorers to overcome the Lions defense and Columbia dropped to 2-9 on the season and 0-5 in the Ivy League.

The Quakers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with a pair of tough goals in the opening ten minutes of play. Ashley Rinere put the Lions on the board with a score off the free position shot at 18:26 for a 2-1 score. Penn used a relentless firing of shots at the net to put together a run of four unanswered goals. Packer picked up 10 saves during the Quaker run for the Lions with several impressive defensive stands.

After being fairly quite offensively for much of the first half, Johnson found the back of the net twice in the final 30 seconds of the half to trim the Columbia deficit to 6-3 at the break.

Penn began the second half with a goal in the first minute of action. Johnson later found Kate Murphy for the score to bring the Penn lead back to three at 7-4 wtih 29:11. The Quakers responded with another quick goal, before Johnson scored a couple of goals to trim the deficit to 8-6. Penn’s Courtney Tomchik went on to help extend the team’s lead with a pair of scores midway through the second half.

With nine minutes remaining, the Lions continued to fight behind Johnson’s game-high fifth goal, trailing 10-7. The Quakers closed the game outscoring Columbia 3-1, including a goal by Paige Cuscovitch for Johnson’s second assist, to hand the Lions a 13-8 loss.

Up next, Columbia is set to participate in a special contest facing Yale at Oceanside High School in Oceanside, N.Y. to support Hurricane Sandy Relief efforts on Saturday, April 13 at 3 p.m.